An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) can be an effective tool for preserving life insurance proceeds for beneficiaries while reducing potential estate tax exposure and protecting policy proceeds from creditors. For Brawley residents, understanding how an ILIT works, what it can accomplish, and how it fits with your broader estate plan is essential. The information below outlines the role of an ILIT, the common reasons clients consider this type of trust, and how the Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman can assist in structuring durable and clear trust documents that reflect your family’s needs and California law.
This guide explains the basic mechanics of an ILIT, how ownership and beneficiary designations are adjusted, and why people create these trusts to achieve specific financial and estate planning goals. Whether you own a large life insurance policy, have blended family concerns, or want to make sure proceeds pass privately and promptly to intended recipients, an ILIT can play a central role. We discuss practical steps for setting up a trust, funding it, selecting trustees and beneficiaries, and maintaining the trust over time in compliance with state and federal rules.
An ILIT matters because it separates life insurance policy proceeds from your probate estate, which can lead to clearer, faster distributions and potential estate tax advantages for certain clients. It provides a legal mechanism to control how benefits are used, protect proceeds from creditors or divorcing spouses, and ensure assets are distributed according to your intentions. For many families, an ILIT also helps maintain privacy and avoid public probate records. Setting one up properly requires clear trust language, coordination with beneficiary designations, and ongoing administration so the trust remains effective throughout your lifetime and after your passing.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman provide estate planning services to clients across California, helping individuals and families design trust-based plans tailored to their needs. Our attorneys prioritize clear communication, practical planning strategies, and careful drafting to ensure documents operate as intended. We handle the full lifecycle of trust matters, including drafting revocable and irrevocable trusts, coordinating funding steps, and preparing supporting documents such as pour-over wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives. Our approach emphasizes understandable guidance, proactive planning, and attention to administrative details so clients feel confident in their decisions.
An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust is a legal vehicle created to own a life insurance policy or receive policy proceeds for the benefit of named beneficiaries. Once the trust owns the policy, the grantor generally gives up direct control over the policy and cannot change ownership without potential tax consequences. The trust document outlines trustee powers, distribution rules, and the manner in which proceeds should be used. For many clients, the appeal lies in removing the proceeds from the probate estate and creating defined instructions for distribution, which can reduce conflict and improve predictability for heirs.
Setting up an ILIT requires careful coordination between the trust document, the life insurance carrier, and beneficiary designations. Funding the trust and ensuring premiums are paid may involve gifts to the trust or using other assets to cover expenses. Trustees have an ongoing administrative role to collect proceeds, pay any debts or taxes, and distribute assets according to the trust terms. Because the trust is irrevocable, clients should consider the long-term implications, including the loss of direct ownership and the need for reliable trustee selection and clear drafting to prevent unintended outcomes.
An ILIT is an irrevocable trust specifically designed to hold life insurance policies or receive insurance death benefits. The trust becomes the owner and the beneficiary of the policy, and a trustee manages the proceeds upon the insured’s death. Properly structured, the proceeds do not form part of the insured’s estate for federal estate tax purposes, which can provide tax planning benefits in the right circumstances. The trust document also establishes who receives distributions and under what conditions, creating a governed path for the insurance proceeds to be used for support, education, debt repayment, or other intended purposes.
Critical steps in creating an ILIT include drafting a clear trust instrument, transferring policy ownership to the trust, naming a trustee and beneficiaries, and setting procedures for premium payments and distributions. The grantor typically makes gifts to the trust to cover premiums, or the trust may acquire a new policy directly. It is important to respect the three-year rule and other tax considerations when transferring an existing policy to avoid unwanted inclusion in the estate. Finalizing the trust also involves coordinating beneficiary designations, preparing supporting estate planning documents, and documenting the funding steps.
Understanding common terms helps clients follow the ILIT process and communicate effectively with trustees and advisors. The glossary below explains words frequently used when discussing life insurance trusts, including grantor, trustee, beneficiary, funding, and inclusion rules. Having a basic familiarity with these terms makes it easier to recognize why certain drafting choices matter, how distributions may be handled, and what obligations trustees will have when managing policy proceeds. Clear definitions reduce confusion and help ensure your plan aligns with your goals and family circumstances.
The grantor is the person who creates and funds the trust by transferring ownership of a life insurance policy or by contributing funds to buy a policy owned by the trust. Once the trust is created and the policy is transferred, the grantor typically gives up the right to change the trust’s terms or reclaim ownership of the policy. The grantor’s actions must be deliberate and aligned with a long-term plan, since the irrevocable nature of the trust affects control and tax treatment. Choosing the timing and method of funding is an important planning decision the grantor makes.
The trustee is the individual or entity responsible for administering the trust, including collecting insurance proceeds, paying expenses or debts, and distributing funds according to the trust terms. Trustees must act in the best interests of beneficiaries and follow the instructions in the trust document. Trustee duties may include recordkeeping, tax filings, and communicating with beneficiaries. Selecting a trustee who is trustworthy and able to carry out administrative tasks is an important decision when setting up an ILIT because the trustee’s actions determine how smoothly the trust operates after the insured’s death.
Beneficiaries are the people or entities designated to receive trust assets, including life insurance proceeds. The trust document can specify primary and contingent beneficiaries and set conditions for distributions, such as age thresholds or purposes like education or healthcare. Using a trust to hold life insurance proceeds allows the grantor to determine how funds are used and to protect distributions from creditors or mismanagement. Clear beneficiary designations and contingent plans help ensure proceeds pass according to the grantor’s intentions without relying solely on beneficiary designations at the insurer.
Funding refers to how the trust acquires the policy or receives premium payments. Inclusion rules determine whether insurance proceeds are included in the grantor’s estate for tax purposes. A common rule to watch is the three-year lookback, which can cause transferred policies to remain in the estate if the grantor dies within three years of the transfer. Funding choices, whether the trust purchases a new policy or an existing policy is transferred, will affect tax treatment and the trust’s final effectiveness. Proper planning addresses these rules to achieve intended outcomes.
When considering an ILIT, it helps to compare this approach with alternatives such as keeping the policy in the estate, naming individual beneficiaries directly, or using other trust structures. Each option has trade-offs related to probate, estate taxes, creditor protection, and administrative complexity. Keeping a policy in your estate provides direct control but can increase estate size. Naming individual beneficiaries avoids trust administration but offers less control and protection. Working through these options with clear objectives will reveal which strategy best aligns with your family’s financial and personal goals.
If your life insurance policy is modest in size and your intended beneficiaries are immediate family members who need funds quickly and directly, a limited approach such as naming beneficiaries on the policy may be sufficient. This straightforward method avoids the administrative burden and ongoing requirements of a trust. For families with few complexities and minimal creditor concerns, direct beneficiary designations can achieve timely distributions without additional trust administration. However, it is important to consider whether probate avoidance, creditor protection, or controlled distributions are relevant before deciding against a trust.
A limited approach can also work when estate tax exposure is unlikely and creditor protection is not a priority. If your estate is well below federal and state thresholds and beneficiaries are financially stable, the added complexity of an ILIT may not deliver meaningful benefits. In such circumstances, maintaining a simpler plan with beneficiary designations and basic estate documents can be both cost-effective and efficient. Still, a review of overall financial and family circumstances is recommended to confirm that a simpler route will meet long-term goals without unexpected consequences.
A comprehensive trust-based plan is often needed when protection of proceeds from creditors, divorce, or other claims is a priority and when the grantor wants to control the timing and purpose of distributions. An ILIT gives clear instructions to a trustee about how to handle proceeds, who receives them, and under what circumstances. This structure helps prevent beneficiaries from receiving lump sums they are not prepared to manage and creates mechanisms for ongoing support, education, or healthcare expenses. For families with complex dynamics or asset protection concerns, comprehensive planning offers durable solutions.
Comprehensive legal services are important when coordinating life insurance planning with broader estate tax strategies and retirement planning. An ILIT can remove insurance proceeds from the grantor’s estate when properly funded and timed, which can be a valuable component of tax-aware planning for certain estates. Effective coordination also involves updating beneficiary designations, structuring other trusts, and aligning powers of attorney and health care directives. Working through these interrelated elements ensures that the life insurance component supports overall goals rather than creating unintended tax or administrative issues.
A comprehensive approach to life insurance and estate planning brings coherence to multiple documents, reducing the chance of conflicting instructions and increasing the likelihood that funds are used as intended. It enables careful selection of trustees, tailored distribution standards, and integration with wills, powers of attorney, and health directives. For families concerned about privacy, probate avoidance, and long-term asset protection, a trust-based plan offers clear legal mechanisms to achieve these outcomes. Proper administration and coordination also help ensure the plan remains effective as laws and circumstances change.
Comprehensive planning also improves predictability and communication among family members by documenting intentions and establishing a neutral fiduciary to carry out distribution decisions. This approach can reduce disputes and provide continuity when responsibilities shift after a death. Additionally, structured distribution provisions in a trust may preserve public benefits for a disabled beneficiary by controlling access to funds, or ensure that proceeds support education and care without direct exposure to beneficiaries’ creditors. Thoughtful planning balances flexibility with clear legal protections to meet unique family needs.
An ILIT lets you specify conditions for distributions, designating how and when proceeds should be used for beneficiaries’ support, education, or other purposes. This control helps prevent sudden, unrestricted payouts that some beneficiaries may not manage well or that could expose funds to third-party claims. By appointing a trustee and drafting clear distribution standards, you can ensure proceeds are used in ways aligned with your intentions. The result is a predictable, governed process that can adapt to changing family circumstances while preserving the grantor’s objectives.
Holding life insurance in an ILIT can remove proceeds from the probate process, enabling faster access for beneficiaries and keeping details out of public court records. Probate avoidance reduces administrative delay and potential public scrutiny of distributions. Trust administration is a private process, and the trust document can provide a roadmap for the trustee to follow, enhancing predictability. For families that value discretion and want to minimize public exposure of financial affairs, this privacy benefit is often an important consideration when opting for a trust-centered approach.
When transferring an existing policy to an ILIT, timing and documentation matter. Be mindful of lookback periods that can cause a transferred policy to remain included in your estate for tax purposes if death occurs within a specified timeframe. Ensure the transfer is recorded with the insurer and that premium payment methods are clearly established so the trust remains properly funded. Clear records and consistent procedures reduce the risk of administrative errors and help the trust achieve its intended legal and financial objectives over time.
To ensure an ILIT functions as intended, keep insurance beneficiary designations, employer plans, and trust documents aligned. Inconsistencies can lead to unintended beneficiaries or complications during administration. Regularly review policy records and trust terms after major life events such as marriage, divorce, births, or deaths. Maintaining up-to-date documents and notifying trustees and relevant financial institutions of changes will help prevent conflicts and ensure the trust holds and distributes proceeds according to your current wishes.
People consider an ILIT for several common reasons, including reducing potential estate tax exposure for larger estates, protecting life insurance proceeds from creditors or divorced spouses, and controlling the timing and purposes of distributions for beneficiaries. An ILIT can also preserve eligibility for certain public benefits when properly structured and ensure privacy by avoiding probate. For families with mixed beneficiaries, minor children, or a desire to support a legacy goal, an ILIT offers a mechanism to set clear distribution rules and assign a fiduciary to carry out your plan.
Other motivating factors include the desire to lock in ownership of a policy outside of the probate estate, coordinate life insurance with other trust provisions, and provide liquidity to cover estate expenses without forcing the sale of other assets. Using an ILIT as part of a comprehensive plan can provide peace of mind by documenting how resources should be used and naming a responsible party to oversee distributions and tax matters. Discussing your family’s priorities will help determine whether an ILIT is a suitable choice for your circumstances.
Typical circumstances that lead people to establish an ILIT include owning large life insurance policies, wanting to shelter proceeds from estate inclusion, having blended families where distribution control is important, and protecting assets from creditor claims. An ILIT is also commonly used to provide for minors or beneficiaries with special needs while preserving eligibility for government benefits. Business owners may use ILITs for buy-sell funding or to provide liquidity for estate settlement. Each situation requires tailored drafting to align trust terms with objectives and legal constraints.
When life insurance policies are substantial relative to an estate, placing the policy into an ILIT can remove proceeds from the taxable estate when done properly, which may be an important consideration for certain estates. This structure helps ensure that a large payout does not unintentionally increase estate tax exposure or complicate asset distribution. The decision to use an ILIT should consider timing, funding mechanisms, and the estate’s broader composition to achieve the desired tax and planning outcomes while maintaining the grantor’s overall objectives.
Blended families often need precise control over how assets are distributed to ensure that a surviving spouse receives support while children from another relationship also receive their intended inheritance. An ILIT can provide structured distributions that balance these competing objectives, ensuring funds are available for a surviving spouse’s needs while preserving principal for children later. The trust’s distribution rules can reflect nuanced wishes, such as staggered payments or restrictions on use, offering clarity and stability for all family members involved.
For those worried that beneficiaries might face creditor claims or dissolution of marriage, an ILIT offers protections by placing proceeds in a trust rather than distributing them outright. Trust-held proceeds are managed by a trustee and distributed according to stated terms, which can reduce exposure to creditors and help preserve assets for intended purposes. This structure can be particularly valuable when beneficiaries have professions or circumstances that make them vulnerable to claims, or when maintaining assets in the family across generations is a priority.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman assist clients in Brawley and throughout Imperial County with trust-centered estate planning, including the design and administration of ILITs. We emphasize clear drafting, coordinated funding, and practical administration steps so clients understand how their plans will operate. Whether you are considering a new policy owned by the trust or transferring an existing policy, we provide guidance on timing, trustee selection, and documentation. Contact our office for a thoughtful review of how an ILIT might fit into your overall estate plan and family goals.
The firm focuses on practical estate planning solutions that align with clients’ goals and the realities of California law. We emphasize careful drafting, clear communication, and step-by-step coordination to ensure trusts are effective from creation through administration. Clients receive personalized attention to their family dynamics, financial considerations, and long-term objectives. Our approach seeks to remove ambiguity from planning documents and to create trust instruments that trustees can administer confidently, reducing the potential for disputes and ensuring consistent outcomes for beneficiaries.
We help clients through each stage of ILIT setup, including selecting trustees, preparing trust language, transferring or purchasing policies, and establishing premium funding mechanisms. The firm also assists with related documents such as pour-over wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and guardianship nominations. By coordinating these elements, we create cohesive plans that address both immediate needs and future contingencies. Our goal is to provide clear, practical counsel so clients can make informed decisions about long-term asset protection and distribution.
Clients benefit from a process that balances legal requirements with understandable explanations and proactive document maintenance. We review beneficiary designations, clarify trustee responsibilities, and advise on recordkeeping and funding to preserve the trust’s intended benefits. Whether updating an existing estate plan or creating a new trust structure, we focus on durable solutions that reflect each client’s priorities. Our communication-driven approach ensures clients and families understand how the ILIT operates and what steps trustees must take after a policy holder’s death.
Our process begins with a thorough interview to identify your goals, family circumstances, and the nature of existing policies and assets. We then recommend the best structure and draft trust documents tailored to your needs, coordinate with insurers and trustees, and assist with funding and premium strategies. After creating the trust, we provide guidance on administration, recordkeeping, and necessary follow-up to maintain the trust’s effectiveness. This step-by-step approach reduces uncertainty and provides a clear plan for both you and your chosen trustee.
The initial stage focuses on gathering information about existing policies, financial circumstances, family dynamics, and planning objectives. We analyze whether an ILIT is appropriate, discuss potential tax and inclusion rules, and outline alternatives. This planning conversation identifies trustees, funding methods, and distribution priorities. By understanding the broader estate plan, we make sure the ILIT integrates with other documents and goals so that ownership changes, beneficiary designations, and trust terms all work together as intended.
Collecting up-to-date policy statements, beneficiary designations, financial records, and existing estate planning documents is essential. We review policy terms, ownership records, and any contractual restrictions to determine if a transfer is feasible and how it will affect estate inclusion. Accurate documentation supports a smooth transfer process and ensures the trust is funded correctly. This step also identifies whether new policies should be purchased by the trust or existing policies transferred, and whether any gift tax reporting will be required based on the funding method selected.
We discuss your distribution goals, timing preferences, and the qualities you want in a trustee. Trustee selection is a personal decision and can range from a trusted family member to a corporate fiduciary. We help outline responsibilities, compensation provisions, and successor trustee arrangements. Clearly stating these choices in the trust document reduces ambiguity and prepares trustees to administer the trust effectively. This planning also considers contingencies such as incapacity, relocation, or changes in beneficiary circumstances.
Once goals are set and documents are prepared, we draft a tailored ILIT that reflects the agreed-upon distribution standards and trustee powers. The drafting phase addresses funding mechanisms, premium payment arrangements, and coordination with existing estate planning documents. After review and client approval, the trust is executed following California formalities. We also prepare ancillary documents such as pour-over wills and powers of attorney, and provide instructions for transferring ownership of the life insurance policy to the trust to complete the funding step.
Transferring a policy to the trust requires communication with the insurance carrier to change ownership and beneficiary designations as needed. We assist in submitting the correct forms and verifying that the transfer is recorded properly. For new policies, we coordinate the application and ownership designation so the trust is the owner from inception. Close coordination with carriers prevents administrative errors that could jeopardize the trust’s intended tax or legal benefits and ensures beneficiaries are aligned with the trust’s provisions.
After execution, the trust must be funded according to the plan. Funding can include transferring an existing policy into the trust or making gifts to the trust to pay premiums. We provide guidance on gift tax reporting and documentation to support the funding steps. Proper funding and recordkeeping are vital to demonstrate the trust’s effectiveness and to help avoid unintended inclusion in the grantor’s estate. We also advise trustees on initial administrative steps to prepare for future management of the trust assets.
After the trust is in place, trustees may need assistance with recordkeeping, premium payments, tax filings, and eventual distribution of proceeds. We offer guidance to trustees and beneficiaries on their roles and responsibilities and can assist with tax matters and claim resolution when proceeds are paid. Ongoing maintenance may include periodic reviews to ensure documents remain up-to-date with changing laws and personal circumstances. Regular review helps preserve the trust’s intended benefits and adapt to life events such as births, deaths, or changes in financial status.
When life insurance proceeds are paid to the trust, the trustee must collect and document the funds, pay any outstanding debts or expenses, file required tax forms, and distribute proceeds in accordance with the trust terms. Trustees should maintain transparent records and communicate with beneficiaries as directed by the trust. Proper handling of these duties preserves the trust’s integrity and reduces the risk of disputes. We provide trustees with practical guidance on these obligations and can assist with tax or distribution questions that arise during administration.
Life events and changes in law may require updates to related estate planning documents. Although an ILIT is irrevocable, surrounding documents like pour-over wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives should be reviewed periodically, and the administration plan should be revisited to confirm trustees remain appropriate. Routine check-ins ensure that beneficiary designations, funding mechanisms, and distribution plans reflect current intentions. Regular maintenance reduces surprises and keeps the overall estate plan aligned with the grantor’s evolving circumstances.
An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust is a trust designed to own a life insurance policy or receive policy proceeds, with the trustee managing and distributing funds to beneficiaries according to the trust terms. Creating an ILIT can achieve objectives such as removing insurance proceeds from probate, controlling distribution timing, and providing more privacy than naming individuals directly on a policy. The trust document specifies trustee powers, distribution conditions, and successor arrangements so proceeds are used as intended by the grantor. Choosing to create an ILIT involves weighing the loss of direct ownership against the benefits of control and protection. The grantor typically transfers the policy to the trust or funds the trust to purchase a policy. Because the trust is irrevocable, careful planning is needed to align the ILIT with the broader estate plan and to ensure funding and premium payments are handled properly so the trust achieves the desired legal and financial outcomes.
Transferring a life insurance policy to an ILIT can remove the policy’s death benefit from the grantor’s taxable estate, provided certain rules are followed. If the trust becomes the owner and beneficiary and the grantor does not retain incidents of ownership, the proceeds are generally not included in the probate estate for estate tax purposes. This can be an important consideration for larger estates where estate tax exposure is a concern. It is important to be mindful of timing rules and exceptions, such as transfer lookback periods that may cause a recently transferred policy to remain includible in the estate for a limited time. Coordination with other estate planning strategies and timely documentation are key to achieving the intended tax outcomes, and careful recordkeeping supports the trust’s effectiveness.
Yes, an ILIT can be funded with an existing life insurance policy, but there are administrative and tax considerations to keep in mind. Transferring an existing policy requires changing ownership and beneficiary designations with the insurer and documenting the transfer. The grantor must understand the implications for premiums, policy loans, and any potential restrictions in the policy contract itself. A critical factor is the timing of the transfer: certain lookback periods may cause a transferred policy to remain included in the grantor’s estate for tax purposes if the grantor dies within a set timeframe after the transfer. Because of these consequences, clients should carefully plan the transfer and confirm that funding and premium arrangements align with long-term objectives and legal requirements.
Selecting a trustee involves balancing trustworthiness, administrative ability, and availability to serve. Trustees perform duties such as managing premium payments, collecting proceeds, handling tax filings, and distributing funds according to the trust terms. An individual trustee may be a trusted family member, while some clients prefer a corporate or professional trustee for impartial administration and consistent recordkeeping. It is typically wise to name successor trustees to ensure continuity if the primary trustee cannot serve. The trust document should clearly spell out trustee powers, compensation, and responsibilities to reduce ambiguity. Discussing trustee options and defining the role in the trust instrument helps ensure effective long-term administration.
After a payout, the trustee’s duties include receiving and documenting the proceeds, paying any outstanding debts or expenses of the estate if directed, filing required tax forms, and distributing funds to beneficiaries according to the trust’s instructions. Trustees must keep accurate records, communicate with beneficiaries as required, and follow the trust language carefully to avoid disputes or liability. Proper handling ensures beneficiaries receive funds as intended and preserves the trust’s protective features. Trustees may also need to coordinate with tax professionals to address any reporting obligations and to ensure distributions are made in a manner consistent with the trust’s purposes. Seeking guidance on complicated tax or legal questions during administration can help trustees fulfill their duties prudently and transparently.
An ILIT should be coordinated with wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and other trusts to create a cohesive estate plan. While the ILIT addresses ownership and distribution of life insurance proceeds, related documents ensure other assets and decision-making authorities are aligned. For instance, a pour-over will can direct residual assets to a living trust, and powers of attorney and health care directives handle financial and medical decisions during incapacity. Regular review of all documents is important because changes in family circumstances, finances, or law can affect how well the components work together. Ensuring beneficiary designations and trust language remain consistent reduces the risk of unintended outcomes at a critical time.
Yes, timing rules are important when transferring a policy to an ILIT. One common consideration is a lookback period that can cause a transferred policy’s proceeds to remain includible in the grantor’s estate for a limited time if the grantor dies soon after the transfer. This timing rule is intended to prevent transfers made solely to avoid estate inclusion without a genuine change in ownership. Planning transfers well in advance of the grantor’s death helps ensure the desired tax treatment. Because the timing of transfers and funding steps can materially affect outcomes, it is important to plan transfers deliberately and document them carefully. Discussing timing with knowledgeable counsel and coordinating with the insurer reduces the risk of unintended tax or estate consequences.
An ILIT can provide protection for policy proceeds by placing them in a trust that restricts access and controls distributions. Since the trustee manages the funds and distributes them according to the trust terms, proceeds may be shielded from a beneficiary’s creditors or divorce proceedings to the extent permitted by law and consistent with the trust structure. The protective effect depends on state law, the trust’s terms, and the timing of transfers, so it is important to consider these variables carefully. Trust-based protections are not absolute and may be challenged in certain situations, but in many cases an ILIT’s structure offers more protection than outright beneficiary designations. Appropriate drafting and timely funding are essential to maximize protections while complying with legal requirements.
If the grantor dies shortly after transferring a policy to an ILIT, certain rules may cause the proceeds to remain included in the grantor’s estate for tax purposes. Lookback or inclusion rules can negate planned tax advantages if the death occurs within a specified period after the transfer. This outcome underscores the importance of timing and the potential need for alternative planning if transfer timing cannot be assured well in advance. To address this risk, clients and advisors consider options such as purchasing a policy in the trust from inception or planning transfers with sufficient lead time. Clear documentation and advance planning reduce the likelihood of unintended inclusion and help ensure the trust functions as intended.
An ILIT may affect a beneficiary’s eligibility for public benefits depending on how distributions are structured and whether funds are held or distributed in a way that counts as income or assets for means-tested programs. When drafted with attention to public benefit rules, trusts can be structured to preserve eligibility, for example by providing discretionary distributions that do not count as the beneficiary’s direct assets. Specialized drafting helps balance support for the beneficiary with program qualification rules. Careful coordination with advisors knowledgeable about public benefit eligibility is important to ensure trust terms align with the goal of preserving benefits when needed. This planning involves considering distribution triggers, trustee discretion, and any interactions with government program definitions to protect the beneficiary’s access to necessary resources.
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